Bean-harvester.



C. A. MARTIN.

BEAN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 19m.

1 ,284,7 37 Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEEI I.

INVENTOR w ifl llariziz C. A. MARTIN. BEAN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 1918.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

a M W ATTOR N EY C. A. MARTIN.

BEAN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION l'lLED APR. 4. 1918.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEE T 3.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY C. A. MARTIN.

BEAN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1918.

1 ,284,737. Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR I" ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL A. MARTIN, OF GENOA, COLORADO.

' BEAN-HARVESTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known-that I, CARL A. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Genoa, in the county of Lincoln and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bean-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a harvester, and more especially one adapted for gathering beans; and the object of the same is to improve and simplify the structure of a machine of this character so that it will perform the entire operation of harvesting two rows of beans or a similar plant simultaneously, and may be handled by a single operator and a team of horses.

To this end I have omitted all useless details of construction, and confined the latter to elements and features which are absolutely necessary in performing the desired end, using only such adjustments and controls as are needed while the machine is in actual operation.

Details of the preferred, construction of my machine are brought out in the following specification, and reference is made to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine complete,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, I

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged details in front and rear elevation respectively of the cutting and conveying mechanisms.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the hopper, showing it closed in full lines and open in dotted lines,

Fig. 6 is a detail of the yoke and its bent guides, with fragments of other parts.

The main framework comprises side bars 1 converging at their front ends 2 to a tubular standard 3 suitably braced as at 1, and said side bars are connected at their rear ends by a drivers platform 5, and a other points forward of the same by cross bars 6, 7, and 8, while additional frame bars 9 are employed when necessary. The entlre framework will by reference be of light strap metal, and posslbly angle iron.

The draft is applied to a clevis 10 attached to the front end of the main framework just forward of the standard 3, and this clevis carries a whifi'ie-tree or draft equalizer 11 of such construction that three Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

Application filed April 4, 1918. Serial N0. 226,669.

horses may be employed or two as desired. Main wheels 12 mounted on the rear axle 13 support the rear portion of the framework, and comparatively small. front wheels 14 are mounted in forks 15 depending from a cross bar 16, from whose center a stem 17 rises through said tubular standard 3 as seen in Fig. 1. A standard 18 rises from the center of the platform 5 and supports a drivers seat 19. A rock lever 20 is centrally mounted to swing on the last-named standard and has a tiller 22 projecting, rigidly forward from it at a point beneath the drivers seat so that he may steer the tiller with his knees, and a similar rock lever 21 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the stem 17, the ends of these levers being connected by rods or cords 23 and 2 1 so that they shall turn in unison and movement of the tiller will be imparted to the cross bar 16 carrying the front Wheels 14:- Between collars 25 fast on the stem 17 is mounted a ring 26, and the latter is connected by rods 27 and a bell crank lever 28 with a hand lever 29 moving alongside a toothed sector and standing adjacent the drivers seat.'

Thus the driver has under his control the steering of the machine by moving his knees from side to side, and the raising and lowering of the front end of the framework with respect to the ground level by moving the hand lever 29 forward and backward, leaving both his hands free at most times for driving the team of horses or his three horses, while the machine treats the two rows of plants indicated by the 'X marks in Fig. 2.

For a machine adapted to treat simultaneously two rows of beans or similar plants, there will be duplicate cutting mechanisms operating conjointly, and I need therefore describe but one. The cutting element is a slightly dished disk 30 whose forward active edge slightly enters the ground as best seen in Fig. 1 and whose body, or rather whose plane of rotation, inclines upward and rearward therefrom. This disk is rotatably mounted on a pivot 31 rising from the front and lower end of a frame bar 6 which depends from and is carried by the cross bar 6 of the framework, and by preference the front end of said frame bar 6 has a lateral extension 6" from which it rises at scraper 32 overlying closely the ufpper face of the disk so as to keep it free om mud and dirt. The disk is rotated in the direc- This last sprocket is mounted on a shaft which has a universal joint 36 within its length, and the rear section of this shaft is connected by gearing 37 with a driving shaft 7 38 journaled 1n the frame bar 9 and in the upper side bar 1, and having a sprocket on its outer end connected by a chain with a driving sprocket 39 on the main wheel 12 as shown. Thus the rotation of the main wheel imparts rotary movement to the disk.

Conveying mechanism coacts with the cutting mechanism to carry plants upward and deliver them to a hopper yet to be de scribed, and here again the conveying mechanism is in duplicate and therefore a description of but one neexl be given. The conveyer herein is shown as made up of four endless belts 40 having fingers or teeth on their outer sides, these belts running over upper and lower pulleys 41 and-42 between which they are not stretched very taut. The lower pulleys 42 arjournaled on a crooked rod 43 carried at the lower end of hangers 8' which depend from the cross bar 8, while the upper pulleys 41 are fast on a shaft which has a universal joint 44 within its length, and outside of the same is shown an oblique section 45 connected by a second universal joint 46, with the inner end of the main shaft 38 as best seen in Fig. 2. Therefore rotation of the main wheel and main shaft causes rotation of the upper pulleys 41 and movement of the various. belts in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 1, 2, 'and 3, and it will be seen that the teeth or fingers after passing around the lower pulleys 42 pass over the upper or dished surface of the disk and the ascending side of the same, and carry from it upward whatever lies thereon.

A yoke sustains the mid-length of the group of belts as perhaps best seen in Fig. 6. This is a structure which hangs from the cross bar 7, its inner arm about vertical and its outer arm somewhat oblique as seen in Fig- 1,'these arms being connected as at 51. Their lower ends carry a large loop 52 whose bar is interrupted as shown so as to produce openings through which the downwardly projecting teeth on the belt may pass while the bodies of the belts travel over this bar of, the loop at opposite sides of the several channels. The lower side 53 of the loop underlies and supports the forward or lower portion of}; platform 54, whose front end extends under the disk 30 as best seen at 55 in Fig. 4, and the upper end of this platform is pivotally held on a rod 56 carried by the main framework, so that its t was? portion of the loop 52 and moving upward.

It follows that the lants and vines cut by the disk are grasped by the fingers on the lower stretch of the .belts, and drawn out of the disk upward past the yoke 50, and up over the platform 54 above whose rear end they are delivered to a hopper next to be described, and yet a' considerable amount of adjustment in the position of the forward end and the mid-length of the several belts is rendered possible by the specific form of yoke 50 and hanger 8. I have not thought it necessary to indicate backing ratchets within the sprockets on the main shaft 38,

but such are obviously necessary in order to J permit the machine to turn corners. Nor

'have I illustratedor described means for throwing the driving sprockets 39 out of engagement with the main wheels or other controls by means of which the operation of the feeding and cutting mechanisms may be temporarily checked, but these devices will doubtless also be necessary. No novelty is claimed for such details, and their illustration herein would only elaborate the drawings and confuse matters. The raising and lowering mechanism described may be used to lift the cutting edges of the disks out of the ground and that would of course check the cutting action thereof; and if the cutting mechanism produces no results, the conveying mechanism would have nothing to convey.

The receiving mechanism for the vines cut and conveyed upward I and rearward is shown herein as consistin of a large hopper 60 pivoted at its front side at 61 within the main framework and having its bottom 62 inclined downward and rearward and its rear end open. Such open end is closed by a gate 63 ivoted at its upper edge at 64 to the main ramework' and having a lever 65 extending rigidly forward from its hinge line as seen in Fig. 5 and connected by a link 66 with the lower corner of the hopper. A connecting rod 67 also pivotally connects a pivot 68 on the gate with a treadle 69 pivoted on the platform 5 within reach of one of the operators feet. Now when the treadle is borne forward to the full lined position in Fig. 5 the gate is closed and the upward movement of the lever 65 holds the rear end of the hopper elevated. But when the foot is allowed to move to the rear, or in other words pressure on the treadle is released, the latter moves to the dotted position and the gate swings open and the inclined bottom 62 of the hopper becomes still more inclined as the whole hopper-body swings over its pivotal supportGl. There fore the contents of the hopper at this time will be dumped, after which the parts will e restored to their full lined position for receiving a new load. The constant upward movement of the conveying mechanism causes other vines and plants to be carried over the platforms 5d and delivered into the hopper, and when the latter again becomes loaded it is dumped again. Thus the operator can leave his harvested plants in wind rows across the field to be picked up later and threshed at his convenience. It will not be necessary to elaborate on the art of harvesting beans, but while I have described this machine as adapted particularly for beans it is quite possible to use it on other plants which need similar treatment. Of course the front edges of the cutters need not travel beneath-the ground, and they.

could cut off the plants above the ground, especially if the periphery of each disk were serrated or notched and perhaps if the chain drive were geared up so that the disks rotated at a high rate of speed as would be easily possible if they did not enter the earth. I therefore reserve for myself the widest la-titude'as for the use of this machine, and as to its mechanical details I would not be limited further than as set forth in the following claims. The parts are allof the desired sizes, shapes, proportions and materials, and considerable change in and-elaboration of vthe structure described may be made by the manufacturer without departing from the principle of my inven; tion.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a harvester for beans and the like, the combination with the cutting mechanism consisting of an inclined rotary disk, of a seriescf endless toothed belts moving over pulleys at their upper ends and pulleys at their lower ends closely overlying the cutting disk, the teeth on the upwardly moving lower stretches of said belts coacting with the surface of the disk, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a harvester for beans and the like, the combination with the cutting mechanism including an inclined rotary disk, of a series of toothed belts movin over pulleys at their upper ends and pu leys at their lower ends closely overlying the cutting disk, the teeth on the upwardly moving lower stretches of said belts coacting with the surface of the disk, a platform whose front end underlies the rear end of the disk, the lower stretches of the belts moving upward over said platform, and means for supporting the latter.

3. In a harvester for beans and the like, the combination with the cutting disk, of toothed port the lower stretches of said belts and per mit the passage of their teet 4. In a harvester for beans and the like, the combination with the cutting mechanism consisting of an inclined and slightly dished rotary disk; of means for conveying the cut vines from said disk, the same COIlSlStll'l of a series of toothed belts moving over pul eys at their upper and lower ends, the teeth on the upwardly moving lower stretches of said belts coactin with the dished surface of the disk, a plat orm leading from the disk to the rear, and a yoke having a cross bar supporting the upper stretches of said belts and an interrupted bar supporting the lower stretches thereof and its spaces permitting the passage of their teeth, said lower bar also supporting the platform.

5. In a harvester for beans and the like, the combination with a framework mounted on wheels and having cross bars, frame bars inclined forwardly and downwardly from one of said cross bars, rotary disks pivoted on the front ends of said frame bars and having sprockets on their hubs, chain belts leading from said sprockets upward, and powerdriven sprockets at the upper ends of said frame bars engaging said belts; of hangers depending from another cross bar of the framework, pulleys at their lower ends, power-driven shafts within the framework having sets of pulleys, endless toothed belts disposed in groups inclosing said pulleys, the lower stretches of the belts of each group moving upward and coacting with the upper face of one of said disks, and means at the mid-length of each group vfor sustaining both stretches of all belts.

6. In a harvester for beans and the like, the combination with a framework mounted on wheels and having cross bars, frame bars inclined forwardly and downwardly from one of said cross bars, rotary disks pivoted on the front ends of said frame bars and having sprockets on their hubs, chain belts leading from said sprockets upward, and power-driven sprockets at the upper ends of said frame bars engaging said belts; of hangers depending from another cross bar of the framework, pulleys at their lower ends, power-driven shafts within the framework having sets of pulleys, endless toothed belts disposed in groups inclosing said pulmeme? 7 leys, the lower stretches of the belts of each of the belts and its spaces permitting the group moving upward and coacting with thepassage of their teeth. I

upper face of one of said disks, a yoke car- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature ried by another cross bar at about the midin presence of two witnesses.

length of each group of belts, a cross bar CL A. TIN. within the yoke sustaining the upper stretch Witnesses: of the belts, and an interrupted cross bar CHARLES H. Surname Within the yoke sustaining the lower stretch PAUL H; OLsoNs. 

